Frieze New York 2012: Widespread acclaim for inaugural edition; visitor numbers in the region of 45,000

The first edition of Frieze New York closed on Monday 7 May with many galleries reporting excellent sales across all levels of the market and expressing admiration for the overall conception of the new fair, its structure and environment.

More than 180 galleries from 30 countries took part in the inaugural edition of Frieze New York making it the largest event produced by Frieze. The fair took place in a bespoke temporary structure, designed by Brooklyn-based architects SO – IL, on Randall’s Island, Manhattan.

With visitor numbers in the region of 45,000, the fair attracted an international spectrum of artists, collectors, curators and journalists who all remarked upon the quality of the material brought by the galleries and pleasant atmosphere of the fair as a whole. Tickets sold out for both Saturday and Sunday. Frieze New York is sponsored by Deutsche Bank.

Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp said: ‘We could not be happier with the reception to our first New York fair. Ahead of the fair we were confident that we had the right location, galleries and structure to make Frieze New York a success but those elements have worked together to make an instant international event that has surpassed our expectations. The quality of material brought by the galleries and the response from collectors throughout the entire duration of the fair that made it both a creative and a professional environment.’

Significant sales were reported at every level: Galerie Gisela Capitain sold an untitled work by Martin Kippenberger to a US collector for over €1,000,000. David Zwirner’s significant sales included John McCracken Be (2004) for $750,000 and two works by Donald Judd, both priced in the region of $500,000; Xavier Hufkens reported selling all of his works by Sterling Ruby ranging from $50,000 to $200,000; Victoria Miro placed four ‘Infinity Net’ works by Yayoi Kusama priced at $535,000 each. Metro Pictures placed a Cindy Sherman photograph from 1977 for $950,000. David Kordansky sold all nine available paintings by Jon Pestoni for $14,000 to $22,000.

In Frame, the section of the fair dedicated to galleries under six years old showing solo artist presentations, Take Ninagawa brought 10 works by Japanese artist Shinro Ohtake, which all sold for around $20,000 each. Bureau sold their cast concrete sculpture by Justin Matherly for $35,000 to a European collector. Curatorial advisor to the section Tim Saltarelli said: ‘Frame proved itself to be an invaluable research tool, presenting many of the galleries and artists, both emerging and overlooked, to an international audience for the first time. Frame represents the diversity of contemporary practices today, from the installation work of Samara Golden at Night Gallery, combining both live and pre-recorded video images in an immersive sculptural environment, to Vincent Vulsma’s Jacquard woven textile works based on Walker Evans’ documentary photographs of 19th century Kuba textiles at Galerie Cinzia Friedlaender.’ Co-advisor Rodrigo Moura added, ‘Frame has confirmed its importance in the overall fabric of the fair. The section acts as a forum for investigation, exchange, and discovery for curators, collectors and other professionals visiting the fair. Works spanned from strict studio practice, with artists like Shinro Ohtake, to research-oriented projects, like Charlotte Moth’s, and those with an interest in the economic and historical framework of the fair, such as Goldin + Senneby and José Dávila.’

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